New but need advice on share/part loan.

N

NightOwl

Active Member
Joined
16 June 2012
Messages
41
Visit site
Hello,

This is my first post although have been reading in the background for a few weeks. Anyway I joined up because I have a bit of a dilemma.

I'm currently at uni training to be a primary school so have neither the funds or the money to have my own horse. I also wanted to gain some experience never having had my own horse so I share/part loan. My current share is a lovely mare and the owner is really friendly - ready to answer my questions and quite happy for me to have a go at anything I wanted. For the past 7 months the mare has had some health issues which have been getting no better. At first this was no problem - I loved the horse and wanted to care for her. The trouble is this is getting no better and my riding isn't developing which is really needs to. I feel like i'm paying to do nothing now but at the same time feel really selfish for doing nothing. I love the yard as well and most of the people there. I don't want the owner to know i'm having these thoughts because I don't want her to start looking for someone else if I decide to stick with it!

I really want to start some regular lessons which i'm not getting and start competing. I found another share and have been invited to come down and ride. The trouble is she already has 2 people to choose from! However it seems i'd get to do a lot with this horse - competing, cross country and the regular lessons I need! I don't know whether to go and see this horse or just leave it. I know i'd need to give the owner notice if I want to stop which I will do once I have made a decision.

Very confused to say the least.
 
Go and look, you're not committing to anything and the horse might not be right for you anyway. The joy of not having your own horse is you can have a bit more flexibility and as long as you give notice it shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure the owner would understand if you can't do what you want on your current neddy but looking can do no harm anyway and it woudl be a shame to miss out on something that could suit you better.
 
hello and welcome!

I would go and have a look at the new horse! You may not be able to ride your current share horse for some time.
 
This is true. Thanks for the advice. I've been feeling really bad about this and if the mare was my horse it would be a different story. As it is this is supposed to be giving me something I wouldn't otherwise have and i'm paying to look after her and sit on for a bit but nothing more. Not ideal when I need to progress my riding as well.
 
I agree that's the joy of sharing although I completely understand you feel guilty! All my shares have been hacking homes or there just hasn't been the availability of lessons and comps which I would just love to get started doing properly!

I recently told my shares owner I am looking for my own horse now and of course she was pleased that I have got so into it (i was worried she would be annoyed or something!). Hopefully yours will be the same but I know it is a bit different :-)

There's no harm in looking anyway!
 
Exactly they're the horses I normally seen being advertised as well. Or 4 year olds and I don't feel confident with someones youngster. This horse i'm going to look at is rare in that she's only 8, is able to jump, xc as well as go for a good hack and the owner actually wants to take people competing! Hence why she already has 2 people to choose from.
 
Go and have a look. But in all honesty, however lovely the current owner appears to be, she is taking advantage imo if the horse has been mostly unrideable for the 7months you've been sharing. Fair enough if you weren't paying & got yard experience but as it is you're paying to do yardwork. So whatever happens with new share I think you should speak to current owner & say you aren't prepared to pay, but volunteer to help with jobs still if you want to.
 
These were my thoughts which is why I started looking. It was ok at first and the owner keeps saying it'll sort itself out soon but i'm beginning to doubt this and its going to carry on being long term. I'm a student so money is precious...i'm happy to pay it if I'm getting someone in return for it.
 
Agree with the others, go and have a look as you have nothing to lose.

You should also speak to your current horse owner. I have a horse that has been pretty much out of action since last July, I told my sharer that I didn't want anything from her until he is back to regular work, she still comes up and makes a fuss of him but this is because she wants to and not because she has too and she has started riding him whilst in recovery (but only walk and trot at the moment) but until he is back to normal i don't think it is fair for her to pay anything.
 
We had a great loan for a while but I have to say I wouldn't do it again now. All I can say is go in with your eyes open don't be surprised if people don't meet your expectations even if the horse does at least then you won't be disappointed. It does work out successfully for a lot of people hopefully you will be one of them.
 
Bionic Boy said:
Agree with the others, go and have a look as you have nothing to lose.

You should also speak to your current horse owner. I have a horse that has been pretty much out of action since last July, I told my sharer that I didn't want anything from her until he is back to regular work, she still comes up and makes a fuss of him but this is because she wants to and not because she has too and she has started riding him whilst in recovery (but only walk and trot at the moment) but until he is back to normal i don't think it is fair for her to pay anything.
Click to expand...

Well reading this has made me think that the owner has been being unfair! I wouldn't mind going down and doing yard duties and doing light exercise with her if I wasn't paying anything, like others have suggested. I think suggesting this is a good idea so she still gets the help she needs while we both look for something else.
 
horseloaner said:
We had a great loan for a while but I have to say I wouldn't do it again now. All I can say is go in with your eyes open don't be surprised if people don't meet your expectations even if the horse does at least then you won't be disappointed. It does work out successfully for a lot of people hopefully you will be one of them.
Click to expand...

It is tricky and hard for the owners as well who are trusting others with their horses. This current share worked very well until about 7 months ago. This was my first real experience in the world of horses away from riding schools and although I haven't been put off i'll go into things with more questions and less trusting.
 
My share horse became ill with recurrent lami, rotated pedal bones and was eventually diagnosed with Cushings - in total, this was over a period of 2 years that she was completely unrideable, at times she couldn't even come out of her stable.
She is almost recovered now with medication and all the while I've stuck by her - almost 11 years is a bit much to throw away!! But in all fairness, the owner started to refuse to take money off me when I started university, so I was making no financial contribution.
K x
 
If the time out of work was only going to be two months or so, perhaps its fine to have a sharer keep paying, but for seven months and ongoing it is really not fair of the owner to not tell you not to pay.

I would look at the other horse, then tell the owner, honestly and politely, that you can't keep paying for nothing and want to move on to other things.
 
KellysHeroes said:
My share horse became ill with recurrent lami, rotated pedal bones and was eventually diagnosed with Cushings - in total, this was over a period of 2 years that she was completely unrideable, at times she couldn't even come out of her stable.
She is almost recovered now with medication and all the while I've stuck by her - almost 11 years is a bit much to throw away!! But in all fairness, the owner started to refuse to take money off me when I started university, so I was making no financial contribution.
K x
Click to expand...

Thats fair enough and in your position I'd do the same. Excellent experience for you if you ever move onto your own horse. However I have sharing this mare for less then a year and most of the time the horse has been on limited work. I think the owner needs to admit she needs to just do light schooling/hacking from now on because her muscles can't take any heavy work.
 
Honey08 said:
If the time out of work was only going to be two months or so, perhaps its fine to have a sharer keep paying, but for seven months and ongoing it is really not fair of the owner to not tell you not to pay.

I would look at the other horse, then tell the owner, honestly and politely, that you can't keep paying for nothing and want to move on to other things.
Click to expand...

I think your right to be honest. Trouble is she'll find it very difficult to find someone else while the horse is like this and shes very reliant on a sharer to keep her because of money and time issues. I suppose thats her problem rather then mine though.
 
NightOwl said:
Thats fair enough and in your position I'd do the same. Excellent experience for you if you ever move onto your own horse. However I have sharing this mare for less then a year and most of the time the horse has been on limited work. I think the owner needs to admit she needs to just do light schooling/hacking from now on because her muscles can't take any heavy work.
Click to expand...

Yeah, very true. I don't think its fair that she's still asking you to pay!!
K x
ETA that is her problem, not yours, but I am sure there are many people who are ready to move onto the next level and are looking for a horse just for light hacks out etc, so I wouldn't worry about that :)
 
Sympathise with the owner, but its all part of the responsibility of owning. And sharers don't get the benefit of their very own so why should they have the problems?
 
littlelegs said:
Sympathise with the owner, but its all part of the responsibility of owning. And sharers don't get the benefit of their very own so why should they have the problems?
Click to expand...

One of the reasons why I wanted to share before getting my own horse when I can. All of the learning without any of the responsibility.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top